The NBA isn’t just the biggest basketball league in the world, it’s like a living, breathing organism that continues to evolve. That was the basis of the conversation between legends LeBron James and Steve Nash on the latest edition of the Mind The Game. They discussed just how much the sport of basketball has changed from its early days.
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Coaching for instance, was more hands on in the early days of the league. Today, tech has become a driving factor—not just in basketball, but in society, as Nash pointed out. People have access to information on a second-to-second basis, including a complete stranger’s opinion.
“It’s changing so quickly,” the two-time MVP stated said about the NBA. “Even the micro-adjustments. That’s one of the issues I think we have a little bit with the game. Trying to explain to fans all these little micro-changes that are happening.”
James addressed the cameras directly, letting fans know that all the players in the game are always thinking about ways to improve basketball for their benefit. “We are always trying to figure out a way to get better,” said The King. “But the game changes. ‘I wish the game were like this.’ It’s too far to even be thinking about those things.”
Nash then recalled how when he came into the league in 1996, there used to be just four coaches in each technical area. Now, there are ‘nine or ten’ on every staff, with each having a different responsibility that directly contribute to a team’s functioning.
“Sometimes there’s more coaches on the bench than players,” LeBron said.
There’s, of course, the head coach, joined by a bunch of assistant coaches, player development coaches, and those in more technical and analytical roles—video coordinators, analysts, and specialized coaches like shooting coaches. “Everything is continually evolving. It’s inevitable that it’s going to change, and it’s going to change quick,” Nash said.
“The game is beautiful man. We have to just evolve with it,” James concluded.
It’s always fun hearing these two talk ball—and even cooler when they pull back the curtain to let viewers understand the psychology of greatness. Today’s NBA is so heavily studied and broken down that it might feel like constant nitpicking. It’s not.
The 2025 NBA Playoffs are a prime example. Many assumed the Boston Celtics would roll past the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semis. But the defending champs tried to live by the three, and it was a key reason they went down 2–0 in a series they eventually lost in six games.
On the other hand, take the Minnesota Timberwolves. Their three-point shooting efficiency helped them reach a second straight Western Conference Finals, beating both the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors along the way.
Of course, it takes much more than just shooting the long ball to win. But this is exactly what Nash and James mean when they say the game evolves.
The mid-range is creeping back in as the true X-factor in big games. The three is still where the NBA lives—but that doesn’t mean it’ll live there forever. Evolution is coming. In fact, we may already be in it.
